Antifriction mount for the distributor plate of motor vehicle distributors



Nov 24. 1953 c s 2,660,630

ANTIFRICTION MOUNT FOR THE DISTRIBUTOR PLATE OF MOTOR VEHICLEDISTRIBUTORS Filed Jan. 30, 1953 INVENTOFI Harry fzepric/Bs lt/ YWATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 24, 1953 AN TIFRICTION UTOR PLATE TRIBUTGRSMOUNT FOR THE. DISTRIB- OF' MOTOR VEHICLE DIS- H'arry Henrichs, Fresno,Calif. Application January 30, 1953, Serial No. 334,310

6- Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to an improvement in ignitiondistributors for motor vehicle engines.

In particular the invention is directed to, and it is a major object toprovide, a novel mount for the distributor plate in a distributor of thetype wherein said plate is rotatably supported, being part-turned toadvance orretract the ignition by means of a vacuum responsive actuator.

Inthis type of ignition distributor, especially after some wear whichoccurs in conventional mounts, there is a tendency for the distributorplate to wobble slightly relative to its axis, causing, arcing andburning of the breaker points, and resultant imperfect engine operation.

It is therefore another important object of this invention to provide ananti-friction, non-wean ing mount which efiectively supports thedistributor plate against such undesirable wobble, and yet permits partturning of the plate by the vacuum responsive actuator.

An additional object of the instant invention is to provide a mount, forthe purpose described, which. includes a relatively sn1all-diameter,precision ball bearing unit engaged between a hub fixed. axially on anddepending from the distributor plate, and a sleeve bushing fixed in thedistributor case and upstanding about the distributorshaft.

A further obj eot of this invention is toprovide anti-friction mount,for a distributor plate; constructed so that the distributor shaft,though rotating at high speed, cannot adversely affect the mount orcause any wear of the anti-friction parts of such mount.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an antif1'lotion mount,for a distributor plate, which is designed for ease and economy of mainufacture, and long life, without requiring manual attention or serviceother than normal lubrication Still another object of the invention isto proride a practical and reliable anti-friction mount, for adistributor plate, and one which will be exceedingly effective for thepurpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

The figure of the drawing is an enlarged elevation, mainly in section,of an ignition distributor embodying the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the invention III 2 is here illustrated in connection with anignition distributor of the type which includes a cup-like case isup-ported centrally from below by an integral neck 2; the case i beinfitted on top thereof with a distributor cap The distributor plate isindicated at 3, and the latter supports the breaker point assemblyworked by the earn 3 on the upper end of the driven distributor shaft "lwhich extends upwardly through the supporting neck The distributor platewhen mounted as hereinafter described, is part-turnable about the shaft'5 as an axis by means of a control rod 8' connected at one end to saidplate, and thence extending out of the case i to connection with avacuumresponsive actuator t; said actuator part-turning the plate tagainst the load of a tension spring it connected between said plate andan upstanding pin l i.

To this extent the distributor is generally conventional; the improvedmount for the distributor plate L -and which mount embodies the essenceof the present invention--being constructecl as follows:

A sleeve bushing i2 is fixed in the supporting neck 2 and projectsupwardly into the case i, terminating immediately below the earn 6; thedistributor shaft 'l runnin freely in said sleeve bushing it.

A relatively small-diameter hub l3 depends from the distributor plate 4in surrounding relation to the sleeve bushing l2, but clearing thelatter, as at M. The hub I3 is fixedly secured to the distributor plate4 by annularly grooving said at the upper end portion, as at l5; thedistributor plate 4 having a central circular opening so that said plateseats closely in the groove 15, with the upper end portion of the hubbeing peripherally outwardly deformed, as at It, to lock the plate andhub in fixed engagement.

In the lower half of the depending hub It, the same is cut with anannular notch H which opens inwardly and downwardly, and a precision,annular ball bearing unit, indicated generally at B, of relatively smalldiameter, is press-fitted into the notched portion H of said hub l3. Theouter race I it thus tightly engages in the notched portion of the hubl3, while the inner race 59 is press-fitted onto the sleeve bushing [2directly above the bottom of the case I. The lower edge of the innerrace I?) seats on a Washer 20 in the bottom of the case above the sleevebushing 52; such washer being of suliicient thickness that it supportsthe ball bearing unit B with the outer race 18 in clearance relation tosaid bottom of the case. The hub I3 has clearance, as at 2|, relative tothe upper edge of said inner race I9.

With the above described mount, the distributor plate 4 is effectivelyprecision mounted for non-wobbling, anti-friction rotation about thesleeve bushing l2 by means of the vacuum responsive actuator 9.

Because of the fact that the hub H! has no contact with the sleevebushing I2, the distributor plate 4 part-turns very easily Withoutfriction or binding, and the relatively small diameter of the ballbearing unit B assures that such part turning of the plate can occurwithout undesirable wobble relative to the axis of the distributor.

Further, as the mount is carried on the fixed bushing sleeve l2, ratherthan on the rotary distributor shaft 1, as in conventional distributors,there is no wear resulting from rotation of said shaft, and its rotationcannot in any way adversely affect the mounting and operation of thedistributor plate.

The result is that with the use of the described anti-friction mount,for a distributor plate, better engine operation is attained than withconventional mounts.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a device as will substantially fulfill the objects ofthe invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new anduseful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A distributor plate mount for an ignition distributor which includesa case having a neck depending therefrom, a driven shaft extendingupwardly through the neck into the case, and a distributor platesurrounding the shaft in clearance relation above the bottom of thecase; said mount comprising a sleeve bushing fixed in the neck andprojecting above said bottom of the case, the shaft being rotatable inthe sleeve bushing, a hub fixed on and depending from the distributorplate about the sleeve bushing, and an anti-friction bearing engagedbetween the hub and sleeve bushing.

2. A distributor plate mount for an ignition distributor which includesa case having a neck depending therefrom, a driven shaft extendingupwardly through the neck into the case, and a distributor platesurrounding the. shaft in clearance relation above the bottom of thecase; said mount comprising a sleeve bushing fixed in the neck andprojecting above said bottom of the case, the shaft being rotatable inthe sleeve bushing, a hub fixed on and depending from the distributorplate about the sleeve bushing, and a precision ball bearing unitengaged between the sleeve bushing and hub supporting the latter foranti-friction rotation.

3. A distributor plate mount, as in claim 2, in which the precision ballbearing unit is of relatively small diameter whereby to prevent wobbleof the distributor plate relative to its axis.

4. A distributor plate mount for an ignition distributor which includesa case having a neck depending therefrom, a driven shaft extendingupwardly through the neck into the case, and a distributor platesurrounding the shaft in clearance relation above the bottom of thecase; said mount comprising a sleeve bushing fixed in the neck andprojecting above said bottom of the case, the shaft being rotatable inthe sleeve bushing, a hub fixed on and depending from the distributorplate about the sleeve bushing, the hub having an annular inwardlyopening notch therein, and a press-fit precision ball bearing unit inthe notch engaging about the sleeve bushing.

5. A distributor plate mount, as in claim 4, in which the ball bearingunit includes an outer race and an inner race; the hub, at the top ofthe notch, being in clearance relation to the upper edge of said innerrace, and above the notch said hub being in clearance relation to saidsleeve bushing.

6. A distributor plate mount, as in claim 5, including a washersurrounding the sleeve bushing and seating on the bottom of the case;said washer supporting the inner race from below and in a plane suchthat the outer race is in clearance relation to said bottom of the case.

HARRY HENRICHS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,497,122 Rodriques et a1. June 10, 1924 2,056,573 GollnerOct. 6, 1936

